Redolence
by glockcourage
Summary: Summary: Something happened between Tony and Pepper before Homecoming. It happened after Tony fought Steve and Bucky but well before he was called Tony Stank.
1. Redolence

**Redolence**

"Is he okay?" A woman demands as soon as she opens the door to Tony Stark's hospital room.

The middle-aged nurse smiles reassuringly at the newly arrived visitor. She knows her or more precisely, she knows of her. "Yes, Mr Stark is. We just gave him something because he can't sleep and it's imperative that he gets some quality rest."

The woman nods, putting in peril her hastily tied knot atop her head. Soft tendrils of red hair trying to escape, the only clue that she isn't as cool as she wants to appear.

The nurse continues jotting down on the patient's chart while covertly watching the other woman take out something from her bag.

Taking out a vial from her bag, the woman then sprays the air with it, once, hesitates then sprays generously twice more.

The nurse is about to wonder if she's about to die from an assassination attempt of Mr. Stark at the hands of one of his many ex-girlfriends when she notices the air takes on a scent similar to what the other woman is wearing. The room is suddenly suffused with a fragrance quite light and flowery.

"It's just perfume," the nurse mutters, chiding herself for her wild imagination. True, the patient is a well-known womanizer and that he broke up with his long-time girlfriend. The rumor is because another woman is involved...

But so far, Tony Stark has only one visitor. Just this particular ex.

The nurse, pauses by the door, watching as Pepper reaches for Tony's limp hand, then she leaves, closing the door noiselessly.

Pepper firmly gripping Tony's hand, sits on the available chair by his bedside. She'll wait until he wakes up.

She waits...and waits. The nurse pops by every now and then. Pepper has waited an entire five hours when the nurse admits that the medication they have given Mr. Stark should have worn off an hour ago and that the previous day, when Mr. Stark was brought in, even when his body was battered, he woke up long before the medication should have worn off. But not today, Mr. Stark continues to sleep soundly.

Hearing the nurse's admission, Pepper's red lips twist in a slight smile. Of course, she already knows that, even asleep, Tony's recognizes that she's nearby. He once told her that her scent lulls him to sleep. She asked then, how can that be when she only sprayed it on her person in their room just once in the morning. His reply was a shrug and, "Because I love you."

But the smile is immediately replaced by a frown.

Pepper should have realized sooner…

Just two days after they broke up, Tony called her to ask what's the name of her perfume and once she answered, he just ended the call…It hurt at the time, the bottle of her fragrance had sat on her vanity table in their home and he was calling because he didn't even remember.

Then this morning, when she went to Tony's place to get some clothes for him before heading for the hospital, she discovered in Tony's room, the lingering the scent of her fragrance.

She can see even before that Tony needs her... but what he doesn't seem to realize is that she needs him too. She needs him _to be okay._

And this latest fiasco, fighting the Captain… _Steve_ …his friend, when she didn't learn of it straight from Tony but instead learned of it from the news just like everybody else, she finally realized that distancing herself from Tony is not going protect her from getting hurt. It's just going to put her outside his charmed circle. Sure, she can still look in. She can still know what he's doing to himself at a later date _but_ by taking the safe route, she also takes away her right to be notified. It took a day before she can be here at the hospital because she didn't know.

And not being there immediately when Tony needs her, hurts her too.

Since it's just going to hurt either way, she's through being mad at Tony. She's going to reclaim her right to be by his side now…that way she can at least be mad at him and he can have the opportunity to hear why she's mad at him.

He knows that she's here now and that she plans to stay, genius that he is.

"Oh Tony," she sighs. In reply, he just continues to sleep undisturbed.

It's still going to be an hour or so of waiting on her part but she doesn't care about the time idling away. Tony needs his rest and when he wakes up, she'll be there to lecture him about going on his own and fighting Steve of all people.

But she won't tell him that she can't ever forgive the Captain and his friend—the one they called the Winter Soldier. Two against one… _no wonder_ her baby looks so battered. At least the minor, Peter, is in a better shape and can go home as soon as Tony's up to it.

Passing the time, making plans for her and Tony and in another hour, Pepper finally notices Tony blinking open his eyes.

"Hi," he murmurs softly, his voice hoarse from sleep.

"What do you need? Just tell me." Pepper asks, her phone up, ready to write a list to make him happy.

"You," Tony replies. "Just you."

"Okay." Pepper nods before leaning down to kiss the occupant on the hospital bed.

—o0o—

~7 14 17 AF P7 30 17~


	2. Resilience

_Summary:_ Something happened between Tony and Pepper before End Game. It happened after Tony came home and before he went away.

—o0o—

 **Resilience**

It used to be hard to make Tony fall asleep. Then it kinda became easier. Pepper just needs to be in his arms and in an hour or two or possibly three, he gets to have some rest.

Then Thanos, clicking his fingers, happens.

A lot of people just disappear but Tony, he comes back from the vast space. Pepper who never gave up hope that he will come back to her, welcomes him with tears in her eyes and happiness, overwhelming happiness in her heart.

They are back together and when Tony sleeps, it is with Pepper in his arms. And when he wakes up, he must have her still in his arms. The new day should begin, progress, and end with her still in his arms.

At first, it's okay...then after a few days, it becomes suffocating. But then Pepper knows. Tony fears that the next person that will disappear will be her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Tony. We're the lucky ones."

So Tony's day begins with letting Pepper go. However, she must stay where his eyes can still see her. Or he goes in a panic, shouting Pepper as if she is missing.

"I'm here, Tony," Pepper will say.

And Tony will hug her tight as his body trembles.

"Tony...you need help," Pepper finally spells it out.

With a grimace, Tony sees a doctor. And the doctor is over worked and tired. People come to him for help and he could not help them all.

Tony looks at the other patients. They are the same as him...but some are actually worse. They have no one left.

He knows what he has to do. He admits it. "Pepper, I'm gonna lose you if I don't stop thinking that I will lose you, won't I?"

Pepper smiles, shaking her head. "No. You won't lose me."

Tony sighs. "If I don't see you, it doesn't mean you're gone. You're just doing your own thing. And I should be doing my own thing." Tony then takes a deep breath and a step forward. "I can do it. I can take my greatest fear— _ _that__ of losing you and put it in a box and then I'll put that box in a drawer in my head that I'll never ever open. Every day I will tell myself that we have come this far...and that we will be together even farther ahead."

Pepper rubs Tony's face, feeling the scratch of his beard on her soft hands. "I don't want you to hide from me. If you accidentally pull that drawer open, you can hug me as tightly as you want. I'm not going anywhere, Tony, I promise."

"You can't promise me that."

"I can promise you that because I know you won't let anything happen to me, to us. You're already doing it. You're letting me out of your sight, it's the first step."

"And when I can't help it but call your name?'

"I will answer."

"Pep, I'm hanging on my sanity because I still have you."

"I know, Tony. And in a few months, you will have another...a little person to hang on to. It won't just be me."

"Morgan?"

"Yes, Morgan, if it's a boy."

"I don't mind if Morgan is a girl," Tony answers. "I think I like her to be a girl."

—o0o—

~5 12 19 AF P5 14 19~


End file.
